Arvind’s got a great video over at DrivenMavens detailing a technique that includes drawing what you see and NOT what you think you know.  The technique forces Designers and Artists to reference photographs and real-life situations, purposefully forgetting what we are taught to know about perspective, to get an image to look and feel correct.

Case in point: in real life, we know that everything falls in 3-point perspective.  Normally that’s how we draw.  For basic Design this is a great start. Photographs, on the other hand, add in an element of fish eye, vantage point, and even emotion that you just can’t capture while looking at a car in a parking lot.  By using these as reference, we can better create more emotionally impactful images.

Watch the YouTube vid above, and follow along on DrivenMavens for the full article.

Though we’re a day late (we typically start the week off with a tutorial on Mondays) we opted to deliver not ONE great toot today, but TWO to make up for it.  The video above is by concept artist Matt Kohr, with a terrific step-by-step article on Lifehacker to accompany it.  As the first in a 5-part series, it teaches some basics for digital painting as a introduction to Photoshop.  Well worth a view, as we’ll continue to post more of his great videos as he makes them.

You can view the link here on Youtube for his entire set: CTRLPAINTER

Below, you’ll find a video by Feng Zhu, coming to us via Design Sojourn, that talks to traditional mediums.  Of note, Feng speaks to sketching from the elbow/arm and on selecting sketchbooks, which we find to be some of the most beneficial information for young Designers today.

While you’re at it, check out Design Sojourn’s great “Spaces for Ideas Sketchbooks” feature detailing how we Designers SHOULD maintain our sketchbooks.

This week’s rendering video comes courtesy of Designer João Dias, as he utilizes a specific color palette in Photoshop to render a car inspired by Mercedes’ F800 design language.  The speed painting begins with a sketch, blocking in of color, and then detailing the lights and darks.

João’s painting incorporates a nice graphic, illustrative style that really highlights some of the fundamentals of rendering with a specific color in mind.

Check back every Monday for a great new toot, and if you have one you’d like to make us aware of please feel free to send it along. (Visit our contact page!)

[Source: Autoblog]

This year at NAIAS, Chevrolet officially took the wraps off of the new Aveo Sonic.  (Yes, we know: we still don’t like the name either.)

The redesign of GM’s key subcompact was a lengthy process, and the Bowtie has been kind enough to post a video interview with John Mack, Design Director, and Allen Kim, Lead Designer, about what drove the direction for the vehicle.  From its motorcycle-influenced cluster to the jet-turbine vents, the Designers speak about several of the key decision points.

It’s only about two minutes long, but should provide a good idea as to some of what made the new vehicle a 180-degree turn from the previous generation Aveo.

Many of us sketch in Photoshop and, why wouldn’t we?  The application has limitless brushes, tools, and effects that can help us create some stunning artwork and translate our designs onto the tube.  The app is so legendary that each user creates their own style, manipulating color and linework to their bidding.

Mikael Lugnegard has been using Photoshop as a sketch tool for years. In this tutorial, he shows us how to utilize the software’s tools to create a stunning piece of car design art, focusing on the ability to add texture, reflection, and shading in ways that vellum diehards may fall in love with.

Heck, we did!

Check back every Monday for a great new toot, and if you have one you’d like to make us aware of please feel free to send it along. (Visit our contact page!)

Our friends at Autoline continue to host some great live webcasts. Today’s is no different! Check out their great live stream of the Washington Auto Show, featuring guests such as Mark Reuss (GM North America) and Jonathon Browning (VW NA).

Head past the break for more recent videos from the crew, including a visit to the studio of Camilo Pardo.

<a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=91b10d5f2a” mce_href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=91b10d5f2a” >Autoline LIVE from the Washington Auto Show</a>Pop-out Chat Window

Our friends at Autoline are back with some terrific NAIAS coverage yet again! This year, they have two full days of coverage with interviews, first looks, and late-breaking news from the show floor. Expect to see some reveals, interviews with Designers, and more as the team works its butt off to make the show a great one.

Join in on Monday and Tuesday for live video coverage and chat from 12:30PM EST until 2PM EST.

Autoline LIVE from NAIAS 2011
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Friend of CarDesignFetish Mike Smith (Hi, Mike!) was recently featured in Autodesk’s “Sketch Your Way to Success” promotional series.  In the piece, Mike, an automotive designer for over 10 years, reveals what drives his work in the design field, where his inspiration comes from (hint: flying and racing bikes), and how digital tools have become an essential part of a Designer’s work. The video showcases some of his terrific sketches, renderings, and his process.

As someone who went to school with and was influenced by Mike, I can attest to his incredible skills as a Designer.  This is a great video, not to miss.

Also, be sure to check out the rest of Autodesks’s series here: Sketch Your Way to Success (YouTube)

[via Core77]

AutoDesk’s Studio Paint is an impressive piece of software.  As a part of the Alias suite, it includes great integration with the 3D modeling and rendering side, while providing deep levels of realistic painting and brush control.

It is no surprise that it’s one of the choice tools for OEM studios, which makes this tutorial video by Autodesk’s David Bentley even more inspiring.  Bentley takes a hand-sketched car, scans and imports it into Studio Paint, and renders the begeezus out of it.

Delicious.

Check back every Monday for a great new toot, and if you have one you’d like to make us aware of please feel free to send it along. (Visit our contact page!)